Can you fall in love with someone you just met?
by Professor Soul
Summary: Maka tells the story about how she met Soul. Her emotions spike whenever Soul is around. Does she fall in Love at first sight or does it take her warming up to him? NEW CHAPTER COMING SOON!
1. The story begins

"Maka, will you," he took a deep breath, "will you marry me?"

"Of course I will you baka!" I yelled as I threw myself on top of him.

I like to think that mine and Soul's relationship has always been fun and carefree. But it hasn't been. So, let me tell you the story of me and my red eyed, lovable baka, starting from the very first day we met.

It was the first day of our freshman year at The DWMA and we had to choose someone to be our partner. Sid Sensei spoke to us about the responsibility of both meister and weapon and explained why we do what we do. I was sitting in the third row of seats, taking notes and doing my best to ignore the 2 or 3 boys who were being loud and saying things about how they already knew who they're choosing as their partner.

"Hey! Will you guys shut up! I'm trying to learn something here, unlike you!," I snapped when I finally couldn't handle it anymore, "and, if you're only here because you just want to have the pleasure of hanging out with girls you find hot all the time, GO HOME!"

"Ms. Albarn, is everything alright?" Asked Sid Sensei.

"H-hai," I replied, throwing a glare at the boys that caused them all to cringe, my eyes landing on the ring leader.

I gathered my things when class was dismissed and looked for Black Star. Naturally, I found him leaning against a wall talking to a girl. _Typical Black Star,_ I thought as I walked up and punched him in the arm.

"HEY MAKA!" He exclaimed, "what's up?"

I sighed, "nothing much, just yelled at a few boys because they were being too loud in class."

"Cool."

"So, I'll, uhh, see you later then?" I asked as I flicked my eyes at the girl and then back at Black Star.

"Yeah!"

As I walked back to my dorm, I was stopped by a very gentle hand on my shoulder. I froze in my tracks, fearing that it might be some guy who only wanted to be my partner because they found me attractive.

"Hey, what you did back there was pretty cool. I don't know many girls who can stand up like that to a bunch of loud mouth guys the way you did," said a sexy, slightly husky voice behind me.

"Uhh, thanks," I said, half forgetting how to speak when I spun around and met eyes with blood red ones.

"Haha, you're kinda cute, y'know?"

 _Major turn off. "_ Umm, thanks, but I don't want a partner that only chose me because they find me attractive," I said as I straightened up to my full height. _Damn it! He looked shorter than me in class._

"Haha, actually, I was gonna ask you to be my partner because of your ability to scare the shit out of people with a glare. But if that's why you think I was wanting to partner up with you, I'll go find another person."

He spun on his heels and began walking the other way, slouching with his head down. I was frozen to the spot, my mind still processing what had just happened. Against my will, my legs began walking towards him and before I knew it, I had caught up to him and grabbed a small bit of the fabric of his jacket.

"Wait," I said, my voice sounding oddly small, "I'll-I'll partner up with you, on one condition."

"And what might that be?" He asked as he turned to face me, lifting my head so I was forced to look at him.

"We never _ever,_ under any circumstances, start dating. Because there's nothing worse than a meister and weapon who start dating and break up, and cause their wavelengths to become out of sync. Fur-"

I was cut off as he lightly kissed me, resting his forehead on mine. I could feel a heated blush rush to my cheeks as I tried to avoid eye contact with him.

"Haha, sorry. I just couldn't resist the urge to kiss you," he half whispered, "and by the way, your face is red."

"Shut up," I mumbled, too embarrassed to even look at him.

"Oh, I'm Soul, by the way. Soul Eater Evans."

"Maka Albarn. Scythe meister."

"Perfect."

"Huh?" I asked, as I snapped back up to my full height. _Geez, he must be at least 6 foot,_ I thought as I realized I was literally looking up at him.

"Yeah, I'm a scythe."

"Oh, cool. Ummm, I-I should be heading home or my crazy ass father will come screaming down here wanting to know where his Maka went," I said, "so, I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah! See you then!"

"Bye."

"Later gater."

And with that we went our separate ways.


	2. Tea for Two

Chapter 2:

The following day, Sid Sensei had everybody sit with their partners if they found one the day before. It was a bit awkward given the fact that Soul had kissed me on impulse the other day. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Black Star sitting with the girl he was talking to after school yesterday. Next to me, I could see Soul leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head, eyes closed, his milky white hair falling over his face even though he had a thick sweat band holding most of it back, and a smirk that would make any girl drool.

"S-Soul?" I stammered.

"Yeah, Maka?" He said, opening one eye to look at me.

"Uh, I was wondering if maybe you would like to go out and get something to eat after class," I shyly said.

"What? Like a date? Or as friends?"

"As friends."

"Yeah, totally. Sounds cool. When do you want to meet up?"

"Does 6:30 at the Death Café work?"

"Yeah"

"Awesome, I'll set a re-"

"HEY MAKA! YOUR GOD IS HERE!" yelled Black Star, " oh hey Soul! I see you met Maka."

"Haha, yeah. It was kinda awkward, even for me, the coolest guy on campus," he replied, as he stole a glance at me.

 _Thanks Black Star for ruining the moment,_ I thought. But, Soul and Black Star read my facial expressions like an open book, even though I was positive I hadn't made any kind of face.

"OH, IM SORRY MAKA! I DIDN'T MEAN TO BUTT IN LIKE THAT!" Black Star said after he realized that he was unwanted at the moment, "well, I'll leave you two alone. And Soul, take care of her and watch her closely."

"Why do I need t-"

 _WHACK_!

"That's why," I said as I dusted off the spine of my book, "Star calls it a Maka Chop."

"Looks painful," replied Soul as he stared unblinking at Black Star, who was now laying unconscious on the ground.

"Reaper Chop is worse," groaned Black Star as he regained consciousness.

"Oh," said Soul.

I smirked and walked away as if nothing had ever happened. I was known for hitting people on the head with a book long before I came to the DWMA. My mom says that I hit my father on the head with a book when I was just a toddler because he wouldn't read my favorite story to me before I went to bed.

When 6:30 rolled around, I met up with Soul. I found out that his parents died when he was little and only has his older brother, Wes, left. He nearly cried telling me about the day he found out his parents died and that he and his brother where given their parents property and money. For someone who had a lot of money, sure didn't act like it. He told me about when he first met Black Star a few years back. I was shocked when I found out how much I had in common with him, but I think he was more shocked to find out about my rough childhood.

"Wow. So, um, care to walk around a little bit?" He asked, "the day is beautiful."

"Sure, why not? I mean if we're going to be partners, might as well get to know each other a little bit more every time the opportunity presents itself," I half excitedly said.

"Sweet! So, d'ya wanna walk down to my place and chill out on my balcony or just walk around town until the sun goes down?"

"How about we go to your place for a bit, then walk around until the sun goes down, and then crash at your place? Because I really don't want to go back to my father and find him banging some girl he picked up at a bar."

"Haha, I wouldn't either. But, yeah, that sounds like a plan. And, because I'm so kind, I'll even give you a quick tour of my place," he paused and took a swig of his martini before he continued, "as long as your good at remembering things that are done fast, you'll be fine. But, even if you don't remember everything, I'll be more than happy to show you the way, er, direction."

"I'm a brain. I don't even take notes in class, so I'll be fine."

We sat in silence for a while as we finished our food and he ordered another drink. I questioned if he would be good walking to his place, but he told me that he and Black Star go to a local bar all the time and get drunk, so two martinis wouldn't effect his abilities as much as I was thinking they would.

The walk to his place was nice. He lived about 6 blocks away from my place in what felt like a high class community full of snobby rich people who would yell at you just for breathing on their part of the sidewalk. The entire walk I kept catching him glancing at me out of the corner of my eye. When we had been walking for a good 5 minutes or so, he put his arm over my shoulders and left it there until we reached his street, where he removed his arm and laced his fingers in between mine. My heat skipped a beat. I barely even knew him and he barely knew me, but neither one of us seemed to care.

"You-you live here?" I asked as we walked up to his house, shock written all over my face.

"Uhh, yeah. Would you like to live here with me? I-I mean not in that kind of sense but-" he replied, trying his hardest to keep his face from turning red.

"Haha, yes I would. As long as you don't mind me cuddling up with you on the couch when I get cold."

"I wouldn't mind at all," he said, his eyes dancing in the light of his dimly lit entry way, "oh, and sorry about the shitty lighting here."

"It's fine. I actually kinda like the dim lighting," I said, "it makes the perfect romantic setting for when a guy asks his girl to marry him."

He let out a quiet laugh of amusement as he started walking towards what I assumed was the dinning room. But instead, I was greeted by a staircase in a brightly lit room that lead straight up to the other 2 levels of his house. I guess my mouth was open as I looked at it because Soul let out a rather loud, short laugh that snapped me back into reality. And then he started the tour of his place.

His house had 7 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, a game room, a wet bar, a massive theater room, a pool, a library full of books, and a mini gym of some sort. The last thing he showed me was my room and where his room was located for whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on or just for no apparent reason. After he finished the tour, we went to his balcony, where we relaxed for a while and played silly games like 21 Questions and Would You Rather. Neither of us had noticed how closely we were sitting next to each other after one game of 21 Questions, nor did either of us care.

"...Okay, I would much rather have to live the rest of my life knowing that I'd never date anyone over having girls constantly drooling over me, begging me to bang them, any day," he said as he took a drink of his coffee.

"I agree," I said as I looked at my phone to see if my father who I hate had spammed me, wanting to know where I was and if I was okay, "oh damn! It's already 9:30!"

"What?!" Soul asked as he nearly choked on his coffee.

"Yeah."

"Umm, can I give you a rain check on the walking around bit?" He asked, cautiously taking a sip of his, probably cold, coffee.

"Huh? Oh yeah, that's fine," I said as I snapped out of my day dream.

"Cool. Night Maka, I've gotta sort out a few things before I actually get in bed," he said as he picked up my empty cup of tea.

As he walked away, I watched him. He was so cool and collected around me and spoke to me as if we had known each other for years. Me, I spoke like I had never spoke with a guy in my life every time I was around him. _Do I like him?_ I asked myself. _No, that's impossible. I'm still getting to know him, and on top of that he's now my partner and we made a promise to never start dating. Come on Maka get your head on straight._

I got up and went to my room, changed into the pjs Soul had put at the foot of the bed, and tried to fall asleep. But I couldn't. My mind was racing and my heart was pounding in my chest. After about 10 minutes of struggling to fall asleep, I gave up and walked over to Soul's room. When I reached it, I found him at his desk working on what looked like some kind of paper for his house.

"Soul?" I shyly asked from his doorframe.

"Yeah, Maka?" He replied, not putting down his pen to look at me.

"Umm, I was wondering if I could crash in your room tonight." _If that didn't make me sound like I'm 5, I don't know what does._

"Yeah, sure. Just don't hog the sheets because I hate waking up cold."

"Thank you Soul. I won't hog the sheets," I said, feeling relief flood over my entire body, "oh, and sorry for interrupting your work."

"Eh, it's fine. I was actually planning on getting in bed myself after I finished the paper I'm working on right now."

"Okay, don't stress yourself out about it. A little break once in a while won't hurt you."

"I won't, trust me this isn't the first time I've done this kind of stuff."

"Night, Soul."

"Night, Maka."


	3. First Fight

A few months after we first met and became partners, we were assigned our first mission. It was fairly basic compared to what we do now as a higher ranked 2-star pair, but it tested how well we could work together and put what we learned to the test. Shinigami Sama had told us that after we defeat our target that Soul would devour the Kishin egg that appeared after our target was dead. He further explained, again, that once Soul had eaten 99 Kishin eggs and 1 witch soul, that he would become his new personal Death Scythe.

"Oi, Maka," Soul wined as we sat in the shadows waiting for our target, "can we get food? I'm starving and don't do so hot when I'm hungry."

I dug into my bag and grabbed a granola bar and chucked it at him, "HERE! Now shut up and quit wining, you'll give us away," I harshly whispered.

"Thanks," he grumbled, " sheesh all I did was ask for food. You didn't need to throw it at me."

"Shh, I think I hear him approaching," I said a I put my hand over Soul's mouth.

"Can't...breath..."

"Sorry."

As our target came into my field of vision, I motioned for Soul to transform into a scythe. We worked on his transformation skills for a good 2 months before we finally got it down every time we practiced it. Soul said that the practice was pointless, but I prove him wrong every time. Our target was a man by the name of Jacob Smith, his soul was made of pure evil and his hunger for innocent human souls was off the charts.

"If that isn't a soon to be Kishin, then I don't know what is," I muttered under my breath, only loud enough for Soul to hear me.

His face appeared on the blade and looked at me confused. And then I remembered that Soul couldn't see a persons soul shape or size. I explained in detail to him what I saw, allowing him to hopefully paint a mental picture of what I was seeing. When I finished, the smirk that I had seen over a million times crossed his face and the usual teasing gleam in his eyes was replaced with a desire to kill all things evil. It was kinda sexy, if you ask me.

"Ready?" I asked just a over a whisper.

"Haha, why wouldn't I be?" He laughed.

"STOP RIGHT THERE JACOB SMITH! YOUR SOUL IS MINE!" I yelled as I leapt from the shadows.

He spun around, looked at me, and then started laughing, "HAHA! A runt like you! Defeat me?! HAHA!"

"HEY! NO ONE TALKS TO MY MEISTER LIKE THAT!" Soul yelled, causing me to jump and Jacob Smith to freeze.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me!" Soul said, " _no one_ talks to my meister like that!"

I tightened my grip around my weapon, but instead of gripping a metal rod, I felt my hand tighten around Souls. It wasn't shaky, it wasn't over heated, it wasn't in a tight fist. He had his fingers laced around mine, ready to pull me out of the way if the Kishin swung at me.

I looked up at him. He had a snarl on his lips and his eyes looked menacing. His whole body was tense.

"S-Soul..." I whimpered.

"Oh look, she's hiding behind her boyfriend. How cute," teased the Kishin.

"He's not my boyfriend! He is my partner!" I yelled.

"She may appear weak, but when she's pissed off she has muscle like you wouldn't believe!" Soul spat, defending me as if I was his little sister.

The Kishin gave a mocking laugh and charged at us. Almost instantly, Soul transformed into a scythe and let out a low, menacing growl as we both watched the Kishin rapidly approach. I had never dreamed of being put in the EAT (Especially Advanced Talent) class of the DWMA because my skills were limited to what my mom taught me when I was really little.

"MAKA!" Barked Soul, "MAKA! PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS AND FOCUS ON WHAT IS HAPPENING!"

I snapped out of my trance and as my mind registered that the Kishin was rushing towards me, I brought my weapon up to just above my chest and swung. I hit my mark, but didn't deliver a lethal blow.

"Is that the best you got?" Asked the Kishin, clearly amused by my weak attack.

"No, it's not. I ju-" I began.

"SHUT UP YOU BASTARD! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NO ONE TALKS TO MY MEISTER LIKE THAT!" Shouted Soul as he went back to human form, "I'M WELL AWARE THAT SHE'S NOT AS STRONG AS OTHER MEISTERS, BUT SHE IS MY MEISTER, MY MAKA AND NO ONE TREATS HER LIKE TRASH AND _NO ONE_ TALKS TO HER RUDELY!"

I stared wide eyed at Soul. I had only expected him to say that no one talks talks to me rudely, not for him to call me _his_ Maka.

"S-Soul..." I quietly said.

"Maka, I'm your weapon. It's my duty to protect you. If you were to get hurt, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself no matter how hard I would try. If you were to die, I wouldn't want to continue living without an amazing meister,"Soul explained, looking me right in the eye as a small smile crept onto his face,"the truth is Maka, when I saw you the first day of school, I couldn't stop looking at you. I-"

"Soul, save the talking for after the mission. Right now we need to focus on killing him."

"Fine."

I heard sniffling from behind me after Soul and I finished talking. When I turned around, I saw the Kishin wiping away tears. For a guy who supposedly had a heart of stone, sure had a soft spot for guys confessing their feelings to a girl they liked.

"Soul, let's kill him now while we have the chance," I whispered.

"Yeah, let's do it," he half laughed.

Soul transformed back into a scythe and I took one final swing at the Kishin, hitting my mark and killing him. I let a small squeal of excitement escape my lips before I quickly composed myself and watched Soul devour his first of 99 Kishin souls. He seemed to enjoy it because a different kind of smile had formed on his lips. One that even I couldn't explain in words.


	4. Surprise for Maka

After our first encounter with a Kishin, Soul couldn't stop talking about how delicious a Kishin soul tasted. All I could do was smile and agree with him.

"Soul?" I asked.

"Eh, Maka?" He replied.

"Umm, what was it that you were gonna say when we were fighting that Kishin? Ya know, before I cut you off," I shyly said, choosing my words carefully.

"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

I started to whine and complain and even said I'd Maka Chop him if he didn't tell me what it was he was going to say. Eventually I started to fake cry and got Souls attention. He wasn't the kind of guy who would leave a girl crying her eyes out without a shoulder to cry on.

"Oi, Maka. If it really matters to you that much, I'll tell you what I was about to say," he sighed as he stroked my hair.

I smiled into his shirt, but didn't allow the fake tears to stop flowing until he started talking.

He let out a long sigh and then began, "So, what I was about to say before you cut me off was that since the first day of school when I saw you, I couldn't keep my eyes off of you after that stunt you pulled in class. You left a mark on my mind that told me that you would be the best partner for me. I..." His voice trailed off causing me to look up at him with puppy dog eyes, urging him to finish what he was saying.

"Soul, you can tell me anything you know. I've never told a secret in my life, Black Star could tell you that," I said as I toyed with a section of his milky white hair.

"Ugh, fine. But promise me you won't cause me any pain when I finish. Okay?"

"Yep! Pinky promise."

"I...I bdndjebafh."

"Sorry I didn't catch that. "

"I ndjsgsjdisk."

"Soul speak up, I can't make out what you're saying."

"I fell in love with you. There I said it. Happy now?"

I looked at him in shock as my mind processed what he had just said. And then suddenly all the pieces started to fit together. Him kissing me when we first became partners, calling me _his_ Maka, him hugging me when I started to cry, and the smirk that always appeared on his face after he had spoke to Black Star. It was all starting to make sense.

"S-Soul," I said, almost tripping over my words, " you...you like me?"

He nodded his head with his eyes shut, too embarrassed to look me in the eyes.

"Well, since we're telling secrets, I'll tell you one that I haven't told anyone yet," I took in a long breath and let it out slowly and continued, "I fell in love with you when we first spoke. And haven't been able to sleep because I didn't want to tell anyone about how I felt about you because I feared that it would spread around school and start rumors about us," I half whispered with my forehead resting against his chest.

I couldn't believe myself. I had fallen for Soul and had said that I would never date him because he was my weapon. But now, my heart was pounding and my cheeks were red as I looked at my weapon. His eyes were still closed and his breathing seemed to have evened out a little bit, but his usual crooked smile that showed his sharp teeth was replaced with a smirk that didn't allow for his teeth to be seen.

I stood on my toes and moved his hair out of his face before I kissed his cheek. His eyes opened Instantly, all sorts of emotions filling them. I moved back a step so that he would have room to breathe and wind down. My eyes kept going to his as I watched him trying to figure out what has just happened and what had brought me to do such a thing.

"Y'know, Soul," I said, breaking the silence that was starting to feel really long and awkward, "I...I don't know how to word it, but I never had gotten that kind of idea in my head until just now. I've never had a boyfriend in my life because my father always scares every guy I know into not dating me. And I d-"

"Maka, stop talking. It gets annoying, due to the fact that I don't understand half of the shit you say and because I always get lost in your eyes. But if I had to say one thing that not many guys apparently have the guts to say, it would be that I don't give a shit about what your father says because I've met that kind of father many times in the past. And trust me, it freaked me out at first, but I eventually ignored it," Soul said without looking away from me, "and don't hate me when I do this."

"Do-"

I was cut off as he kissed me again, longer than he did the first time. I wanted to shove him off, but my arms wouldn't move how I wanted them to. Instead I found my arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to me. As he began to deepen the kiss, I felt his hand slide down my back to my ass and then up my arm to my face. He eventually started to trace my body with his hands, getting a feel for where he got the most reaction from. Once his hands were near my chest I broke the kiss and gently pushed his hands down away from my boobs. I didn't want him thinking that he could just freely feel me up without me putting a restriction on where his hands could go.

"So, he said with curiosity laced in his voice, "does this mean that we're a thing now?"

"No. And we are to keep this a secret. And if I find out that you said something because you lack the ability to hold your tongue, I will personally see that I find a different partner who will not tell the whole damn world my secrets. Got it?" I said as I tried to keep a level head.

"Yeah, got it. Whatever you say."

"Good. Now what do we have planned for the rest of the day?"

"Umm nothing."

"Okay, then I'll be in my room and you will not bug me unless you really need to."

"Cool. Later."

"Bye."

I sat on my bed fiddling with my skirt and thinking over the day's events.

 _God Maka, what has gotten to you! This is not what was supposed to happen at all. Yeah, Soul is attractive and smells amazing, but that's no reason to fall for him. C'mon, you don't even really know the guy that well and you've already confessed that you like him and have already made out with him. Get your shit together and focus on making him into a death scythe,_ I thought to myself.

When I was getting ready for bed that night, I decided I needed to smooth things out with Soul, after all I had been a bit harsh with him after he kissed me. But my legs didn't want to go to him. Instead they lead me to my bed where I stared at the ceiling until a quiet knock on the door snapped me back into reality.

"What do you want Soul?" I asked trying to sound as sleepy as possible in hopes of making him leaves.

"I just need to talk to you about earlier...about what I did when I was kissing you," he answered.

"Fine. Make it quick because I'm tired," I lied.

He opened the door and walked over and sat at the end of my bed. He had sweat around his hairline that I assumed was from him working up the courage to come talk to me.

"About earlier, I'm sorry. I couldn't control myself. I just had a sudden rush of adrenaline run through my body and my hands acted on their own. I'm used to kissing a girl like I kissed you when I'm horny and a little drunk, not when she's just confessed her feelings to me. I really am sorry, Maka," he explained as he stroked the quilt on the bed.

I let out a sigh, "Soul, it's fine. Just don't do that ever again. And if you do, I cannot promise you that I will keep you as my partner or that I won't start ignoring you."

"I understand."

"Okay, then good night and I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah, good night."

As he walked out of my room I caught him steal one last look at me before he closed the door behind him and went to his room.

"Ugh, why did I have to end up with possibly the most attractive guy in the entire academy as my partner?" I asked myself as I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	5. Unwanted News

I woke up the next morning to a very loud thud that sounded like it came from the kitchen.

"Soul," I grumbled.

As I dragged myself out of bed, I realized that what happened yesterday wasn't some crazy dream. I could stll faintly feel his lips on mine and the trail his hands traveled down my body. I smelled my hair and found it smelled faintly of Soul, warm and sweet with a little spice.

"Good morning," Soul cheerfully said when he heard me flop down on the couch.

"Soul, do you remember what happened last night?" I asked, not bothering to say good morning back.

"Uhh, yeah. Why?"

"Well," I sighed as I leaned my head back on the couch, "do you remember kissing me?"

Silence.

"Well?"

He let out a sigh, "yes, Maka, I do. And I enjoyed it more than I should have because I started feeling you up."

I closed my eyes and let out a sigh, relived I wasn't imagining it. After a moment, I began to feel something rubbing my mid thigh. I ignored it for a while, but flung my eyes open when I realized that Soul was the one rubbing my thigh.

"Gah! Why...what...this...you..." I stammered as I tried to back away from him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you. But, your food's ready," he replied.

I threw him a disgusted and confused look before I went to the table and silently ate my food. Soul was sitting across from me, playing with his food and more than likely a little red in the face. He had made bacon, eggs, and pancakes for breakfast. His cooking skillls weren't the best, but it didn't leave you with a gross after taste in your mouth.

I stood up after I finished my meal and set my plate in the sink before I finished my coffee. Soul glanced up at me as I stood quiety drinking my coffee. It was obvious the boy liked me when we were out wondering around. He always found an excuse to touch me or hold my hand, it was getting annoying if you ask me.

(Time skip 6 hours)

"Soul?" I called from my room.

"Yeah Maka?" came his strangled reply.

"I'm going out with Black Star to meet his partner. Wanna join?"

Silence. And then a low sigh.

"Sure. It won't hurt," he reluctantly said.

As we got ready to go, I noticed that he was a little tence. He told me that it was nothing and that it would go away soon. I looked at him, feeling scared and a bit protective of him, and asked the unspoken question of if he really wanted to go. He gave a weak smile and walked out to his bike, keeping his distance from me. When I climbed on the bike and wrapped my arms around his waist, I felt him relax a little and heard a sigh escape his lips. He turned the key and the engine roared to life.

"Soul?" I asked, aware of the concern that was clearly heard in my voice.

"What?" he replied, shutting off the engine and getting down from the bike so he could see my face.

"You don't have to go of you don't want to. I'll be okay if you don't," I lied.

I wanted him to go, but with how he was acting I could tell something was bothering him.

His crimson eyes looked into my emerald ones, pain and depression swirling in them.

"Maka," he muttered, resting a hand on my thigh. "I have something to tell you that is important."

"W-what is it?" I asked as fear began to claw at my chest.

"I'm not who you think I am. I'm not cut out to be your weapon, hell I'm not fit to be anybody's weapon. I'm a musician. My life has been over run by my emotions, both for you and my family," he swallowed. "And my mother asked me to go back home."

"H-how long?"

"A few years. Maybe more."

His eyes lowered to the ground and he sniffed. My eyes began to water and I almost threw my arms around him, but stopped myself when I remembered I was still sitting on the bike.

"S-Soul..." I choked out. "Y-you can't go. W-we have so much to d-do and see. You can't go," I said as my voice gave way to tears.

"I already told her I'd go, so I can't back out of it now."

I was on the ground now, my face buried in his shoulder and my arms wrapped tightly around his waist. He rested his head on top of mine and put his arms protectively around my shoulders. My gentle sobs slowly turned into muffled cries as the reality of the situation hit me like a train. I felt him place a hand in my hair as he put his face in the crook of my neck, his ragged breathes sending chills down my spine.

"I'm sorry Maka," he said, crying prominent in his voice. 


	6. Loneliness

I sat in the now empty house, staring blankly at the ceiling of Soul's room, thinking about what he had told me a few days ago before he left.

 _He said his mom called, asking him to come home for a while. But he had said, when we first spoke, his parents died and that he only had his brother left,_ I thought.

I stood up and rushed to my room and grabbed my phone. I dialed him up and waited impatiently for him to pick up. Every second seemed to go by at an agonizingly slow pace while I listened to the rings.

"Maka?" Came Soul's voice.

"Where are you really? You told me you went to see your mom but you told me your mom died!" I almost yelled into the phone.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. I paced my room, becoming impatient waiting for his response.

He sighed, "I'm sorry I lied to you. I didn't want you-"

"You didn't want me to what? Worry about you?!" I yelled. "Soul I'm freaking out because I don't know where you are or if you're safe or, or..."

"Maka...I just needed to get away from you for some time. I don't want to hurt you."

My breathing became ragged and tears started flowing down my cheeks. "S-Soul...I need you," I said in between sobs.

"I know, Maka, I know. And I really do miss you. It's just..."

"Just what? Soul don't leave me...I...I n-need you!" I bawled.

"I just don't want to become a burden to you."

I hung up on him, tired of hearing his excuses as to why he left me. I slid down the wall and cried myself to sleep. The floor was hard and cold, but better than sleeping in Soul's bed surrounded by his sent.

I woke up at around noon, curled up in a ball. The house was still silent, but a new feeling had made itself known. It clawed at my body and tangled itself in my hair. The air became thick with it, making it seem difficult to breathe. I let out a shuddering breath as I felt it closing its hands around my neck, choking me.

"I'm alone..." I whispered into the emptiness of the house. "Alone and afraid and cold..."

I skipped school and ignored my phone when ever it rang. Wether it was Black Star or Soul checking up on me, it didn't matter anymore. My sence of right and wrong no longer existed, my grades fell, and I began to starve myself. As the days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months draged into slow and painful years, I spiraled down further and further into deprssion. I soon accepted the fact that he might never come back.

Knock! Knock!

"Go away, you can't get me out of this house Star!" I yelled from the kitchen, pushing my food around.

"That's no way to welcome back your partner," called a husky voice from outside the door.

"S-Soul?" I asked as I approached the door to see who it was.

"Who else would it be you bookworm?"

I flung the door open, almost snapping it off its hinges. Tears were starting to fill my eyes, bluring my vision. His laugh rippled throughout my body as he brought me into a tight hug, my face buried in his shoulder as tears soaked his jacket.

"I got you something while I was gone," he whispered.

"Y-you did?" I asked as I looked up at him.

"Yeah. I'm not sure you'll like it much, but it's the thought that counts. Right?"

I shook my head weakly before I put my head back on his shoulder, taking in deep breaths of his warm, sweet and spicy sent.

"I was so lonely...I thought you'd never come back," I mumbled.

"How could a cool guy like me forget about his partner?" he whispered as I felt his arms tighten around me, making me feel safer than ever.

He picked me up and set me on the couch, taking care not to bonk my head on the wall next to it. When he let go of me I whimpered, fearing that he would leave me again and never come back. He reasured me that he wasn't going anywhere as he leaned over and grabbed a bag off the ground and set it on my lap. It was a little heavy and fell onto my legs.

"Open it dork," laughed Soul.

I tore the issue paper from the bag and shoved my hand in. I grabbed a hard covered rectangular object, imeadiately I feeling myself smile. I looked up at Soul, beaming as I removed the book from the bag. It was covered in a dark blue cover with a beautifully accented deep purple binding with Inkheart written in gold.

"I've always wanted this book," I breathed. "But never got to it because my mom took the majority of the books after my parents split."

"Glad you like it," replied Soul as he tried to hide his happiness from me.

I leaned over to him and brushed my lips across his, teasing him. He became flustered and his cheeks were dusted with a light pink blush. "Thank you," I muttered.

"Y-you're welcome," he replied, using all his control not to drag me into another heated kiss.

I shifted myself on the couch, propping one arm up on the end of it and started reading. I heard Soul scoff as he got up to go who knows where.

"I'm not alone anymore," I muttered under my breath, as I felt a smile form on my lips.

As I lay in bed that night, the days events playing in my mind. From waking up to when Soul came home. I'd never felt more relieved to see him than I did when he was standing in the doorway.

Soul's kinda hot, I guess. But weapon and meister are only supposed to work together to create a new death scythe for Shinigami Sama. Yet, I can't help but blush when he's around or at even the slightest touch. There's no way I'm falling this hard for my weapon. He was gone for 3 years, and I'm nothing more than happy to see he returned home safely, I thought to myself. Ugh, he's so...no! Stop thinking that way about Soul!

I growled into the darkness of my room and scolded myself out loud for thinking about Soul the way I was. My light flicked on, momentarily blinding me and throwing off my sences. When my eyes finally adjusted, I looked over to where the switch was and yanked the covers over my face. I guess I should have expected to see him standing there, after all I was kind of loud when I was scolding myself.

"You okay?" he asked. "I heard yelling from my room and thought I should check on you."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied. "Just remembered that I have plans to meet up with Star tomorrow morning so I can finally meet his partner."

"Okay, as long as you're okay, that's all I care about."

I felt heat rush to my cheeks at his statement. He said it so calmly, as if he said it to me on a regular basis. After an awkward silence, he flicked my light off, closed the door, and went to his room.

XXX

"SOUL!" I screamed. "DONT LEAVE ME! DON'T DIE!"

I woke in the middle of the night screaming and sweating from my nightmare. My heart was pounding in my chest, fast and hard. Down the hall, I heard Soul bounding towards my room. When he flicked on the light, I was sitting on the bed with my knees pulled into my chest, rocking back and forth with only my eyes visable.

"Maka?" he asked with concern as he walked over and sat on the bed. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I-I dreampt that you died, l-leaving me forever," I blubbered as I felt two strong arms pull me closer.

"I'm not going to leave you any time soon, I promise," he gently cooed, rubbing my back to get me to calm down a bit.

I grabbed a fist full of his shirt and twisted my hand into it, making sure he was really there and not just something my imagination conjoured up. My bawling became a gentle whimper as Soul rubbed my back, with his face burried in my hair. His breath sent chills down my spine, but made me relax.


	7. Awkward First Impressions

There was an odd feeling in my room when I woke up later that morning. As if the house was breathing and full of life, joyous that Soul returned home. I woke up without a clue as to why Soul was in my bed, sound asleep. I nudged him, making sure he was out, before I crawled to the foot of the bed and went to the kitchen to start on breakfast.

I rummaged through the kitchen to find the needed ingrediants for the blueberry muffins I planned on making. Every clang of a pan, made me freeze and listen to make sure he wasn't up.

"Smells good Maka," came Soul's groggy sleepy voice.

"Oh! Thank you," I replied. "Since you were nice enough to comfort me last night, I thought I would make you something as a little thank you. Even though, I don't remember why you slept with me, I still think it appropriate to at least make you breakfast."

He let out a sigh. "Maka, you are something else y'know that? I slept with you because you we up in the middle of the night screaming my name and saying that you didn't want me to die and leave you."

I blushed a bright pink as the memory dug it's way out of the vault of memories to forget, wiggling it's way into the vault of memories that I never want to forget. It was a little embarassing that I forgot about what happened last night.

"Oh, yeah. That thing," I mumbled. "Did you sleep well at least?"

"Yeah. In fact, I had the best sleep I've had in long time," he stated. "And no it wasn't because I slept with you. No, it was because it made me feel better knowing that you don't want me to leave you."

"Uh...da…"

He grinned his famous grin before turning towards his room to change into clothes. I stood leaning against the counter waiting for the timer to go off for the muffins. My eyes dropped to the floor as I felt my cheeks become even warmer than they already were. Outside I could hear birds singing and the quiet sound of a wind chime, along with the faint sound of leaves rustling in the wind.

The timer buzzed, making me jump 3 feet in the air before I grabbed an oven mit to take out the muffins that smelled delicious. Moments later he walked in, grabbing a plate from the cupboard and taking 3 muffins before sitting at the table and waiting for me to get some for myself.

"These are really good Maka," said Soul inbetween bites.

"Thanks. I'm glad you like them," I replied keeping my eyes on my plate.

"Later on would you like to go out and walk around for a bit? After all I still haven't fullfilled my promise from 4 years ago."

I nearly choked on my muffin. After all these years I thought he had forgotten about that.

"Yeah sure. I wouldn't mind getting out of the house, after all I never left while you were gone except to get food," I replied after regaining my composure.

"Cool," he said as he got up to take care of his plate.

I finished my muffins and quickly got ready to leave. I threw on sweats and an old baggy shirt and one of Souls hats he hardly ever wore. And after a look in the mirror, I bounded out toward the door and waited patiently for him to finish getting ready.

XXX

"Hey guys!" yelled Black Star. "This is my partner Tsubaki! She's really cool, even though she's not as big a star as me. Maka, you met her right?"

"Umm, I think so. You may have shown me a picture of the two of you," I replied, thinking back to 4 years ago.

Soul was leaning against the wall beside me, acting like a cool kid who was untouchable by anybody. Star punched him lightly in the arm, which earned him a solid right cross in return. Tsubaki knelt over her now unconscious partner and began fanning his face. I glared at Soul and almost punched him myself I was so irritated by what hw had just done and how he'd been acting since we steppes foot out of his house to meet up with Black Star and his weapon.

"What the hell was that for you idiot!?" I yelled.

"He punched me first!" yelled Soul.

"He was trying to get your attention dimwit because you were busy making sure you looked like a cool kid!"

"Hey! You just crossed the line Maka! And I do-"

"As if you didn't cross the line when we first met! Kissing me because you thought I looked cute!"

"Uhh, Soul," muttered Black Star. "Be careful dude, she's on the verge of Maka Chopping you."

"Piss off Black Star!" shot Soul.

"Why am I even your partner, Soul! You left me alone for 3 years. Three years, Soul. And in that three years, I learned something. I learned that those who really love and care about you are the ones that can get you back on your feet as soon as they sence that somethig isn't right!"

"Woah woah woah! I called you every day I possiblly could. You just didn't answer your phone! And I didn't call you for no reason either."

It fell silent for an uncomfortable amount of time as I looked at Slul and tried to read his facial expressions and body language. Tsubaki and Black Star were sitting on the ground watching Soul and I bicker like an old married couple.

"Th-Then why did you call every day if it wasn't just for the hell of it?" I stammered.

"Maka, it was because..." he paused and took a step closer to me and laid his hand on my shoulders. "It was because I..."

(I know I ended this chapter on a cliffhanger that is some what predictable, but it makes you want to read the next chapter to find out if your prediction was correct. Also, don't forget to comment and don't be afraid to say what you would like to happen/see in the next chapter(s) to come. PM me whenever you are dying to be the co-writter of a new chapter, I won't bite. :] Do it! Or I'll take your soul! No, I won't take your soul, but Maka and Soul will without batting an eyelash.) 


	8. Waka Flaka

His voice trailed off as he continued to gaze into my eyes. His breathing became rigid and sweat started to form around his hairline. My breath had caught in my throat making me feel like I was choking on air.

"...I did it because..." he mumbled.

I felt Tsubaki and Black Star drop their gaze to the ground as the tension between Soul and I built up with each passing second. It was strange that Black Star hadn't opened his mouth and stated the obvious: Soul was about to tell me how he felt towards me. I wasn't that stupid not to know, but I didn't want to be rude and interrupt him.

"Soul, just tell her already," grumbled Black Star.

"Yeah, holding back is never a good thing," agreed Tsubaki.

"Soul..." I managed to choke out.

He dropped his gaze to the ground and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. My hand instinctively reached out and lifted his head up, telling him he didn't have to say whatever it was right at that very moment with my eyes when he finally lifted his gaze. The smile he gave me, though weak, had thanks woven in it. I smiled back before straightening up and marching over to where Black Star and his partner were sitting.

"Umm, Soul isn't feeling good," I lied. "I'm gonna walk him home and make sure he gets enough rest. So if I'm not at my dads house I'm at Soul's. Cool?"

"Yeah, yeah. I got it," grumbled Black Star, clearly annoyed he didn't get to hear what Soul had to say to me.

"Thanks Maka," sung Tsubaki.

XXX

Soul and I sat across from eachother on the couch, neither of us wanting to speak. I could tell he wanted to say something, but was reluctant for fear of yelling it rather than calmly saying it. The house was a bit cold and I had grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around myself. Soul sat still, not shifting a limb even as chills visably crawled down his body. I offered to share the blanket with him, but he shook his head.

"Hey, Soul," I said just above a whisper.

His eyes flickered up to my face in responce.

"If you still have something to say to me, you can tell me now. You don't have to worry about others hearing it. And we can keep it between the two of us if that makes you feel better."

He sighed as he shifted his body a little closer to me.

"Listen, I don't want to hurt you or make you think differently of me when I say what I have to say," he finally said.

"It's okay. You won't change how I view you that easy," I gently replied.

"Well, you remember how I had called you everyday while I was gone for those 3 years? Yeah, that wasn't really cool of me to do because I should have known you wouldn't answer your phone."

"Oh."

"And," he said as he ran his fingers through his messy hair, "I was really stupid to have left you for that length of time."

"Just a little. You're already kind of stupid."

"Thanks Maka, you're so nice. But in those three years I realized something."

"And what would that be?"

Silence. And then a gentle sigh.

"That I really can't live without you by my side."

"It's stupid really. I mean when I become a death scythe I won't have you next to me every day. And you'll probably have found another weapon and forgotten about me."

I set my hand on his leg, drawing circles on it with my index finger. I felt my face twist into a shocked, confused expression as my eyes followed the path my finger was tracing over and over. He had laid back on the arm of the couch, his breathing shallow and shaky.

"Soul?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just...I just knew you wouldn't have a response. I shouldn't have said that. I should have kept my mouth shut," he ranted. "I don't deserve to be your partner. I'm just a useless scythe who partnered up with a girl who knows how to get her point across in one sentence."

"Soul, you're not useless and if you hadn't approached me that day, I probably wouldn't have a weapon yet. You're really cool and funny and a lot of other adjectives. And you definetly deserve to be my partner more than anyone else in this stupid school."

He lifted his head half way into my litle speech, clearly happy that I didn't find him useless or unworthy of being my weapon.

"And," I continued. "I think I may like you just a little bit..."

Light flickered across his eyes as a wide grin dominated his features. For a moment, I thought I saw a hint of regret reflect in them. Regret for not having told me this before. 


	9. He said what!

As the days flew by and we grew closer to eachother, I took into concideration the amount of genuine moments we've had that made us look like an adorable couple to those who didn't know us. Although there weren't many, I could tell that over the three years he was gone our bond had grown stronger. It's odd to think that that amount of time apart would have made us grow closer, but looking at it from a phycological standpoint it makes total sense, and here's why:

1\. Distance tests the strength of any and all realationships 2. It has been proven time and time again that not seeing someone for an extended period of time causes someone to yearn for that person even more.

With as weird as it may sound it's proven itself to be true...so far.

XXX

"Hey, Maka," asked Tsubaki as we walked up to the doors of Death Café. "Is there anything going on between you and Soul?"

"No there isn't. I mean, besides us being best friends there is nothing there," I replied. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason."

I looked at her suspiciously as we sat down at a table and waited to order our food and drinks. She didn't look up from her menu once whenever she spoke to me. Her voice was rather hushed for the time we were in the café even though everybody else was talking at close to their normal volume.

My suspisions of her having a thing for Soul were confirmed when we went to our place and held the door for Tsubaki like a real gentleman would. Her face flushed as red dominated her features and she instantly dropped her gaze to the ground when he smiled. My brain whirled and began to hurt as I took in the scene that played out infront of me. This wasn't the Soul that had come home from his little 'trip' a few months ago. This was a softer more caring version of the one I had met all those years ago. The grim look that always had made a home of his red eyes had almost completely vanished, the edge in his smile no longer dominated his toothy grins he always flashed, and his posture had completely changed.

"So, Tsubaki, how are things going with being Black Stars partner and all?" asked Soul as he mixed a drink in the kitchen.

"Oh, umm, I guess things have been good. We just haven't gotten a single soul yet," she softly said.

"Wow. He really isn't as godly as he claims to be, now huh?"

"Haha, yeah..."

XXXTimeSkipXXX

I sat at the bar as the music punded in my ears. Parties weren't really my kind of thing or my idea of fun. I much rather would be sitting on the couch or in my room reading a book in complete silence.

"Hey Soul," I called. "Is there a slight chance that I could talk to you in private for a bit. I really need to tell you something that I don't want anyone else knowing about."

"Uhh, yeah. Sure. Right now is fine," he replied.

I grabbed his wrist and lead him to one of the guest rooms where I closed and locked the door behind me before beginning to speak. My heart was racing as I franticaly searched for a way to word what I had to say gentlely. It wasn't going to be an easy task to do.

"Umm...how do you feel about Tsubaki? Y'know, the girl that joined us for lunch the other day," I finally whispered.

"Well, she's very nice and rather beautiful. I would never date her, but I kind of have some feelings toward her. Not many but a few," he said after a few seconds.

"What do you mean by 'a few'?"

"Well...there's a little bit of love in there but only in the friend kind of way. A cool guy like me wouldn't date a girl that's almost as tall as him."

"Right.."

"Why you ask? Is there something you're not telling me? Because you know full well that I'd rather date you than her, even if you have tiny tits."

(Soul's POV)

I watched as Maka's eyes frantically searched my face for any little sign of me lying to her. When she finally didn't find anything, she huffed and started for the door, clearly not wanting to be around me any longer than she wanted or needed to be.

"Maka, I thought we had talked about this a few months ago with eachother. And, if I remember correctly, you said that you kinda have feelings for me. What hap-?"

"Soul, I've been wanting to tell you this, but I think that those feelings were only a brief thing that I felt when you returned," she muttered.

I stared at her, confused. After I had returned she wanted nothing to do with other guys. She always wanted me to go with her even if it was only down to the mailbox. My mind had begun swirling as the events replayed in my head of every moment we were together. It wasn't making any sence at all anymore. The girl who had said she had feelings for me was almost no longer around. She had been replaced with someone that I never knew.

"Maka, what are you saying?" I asked.

She sighed, "What I'm saying is that we can't be together. We can still be partners, but I can't gaurentee that our souls will resonate the same way they did in the past. Soul, while you were off trying to forget your feelings for me, I learned how to live without you always being there to protect me."

"Maka-"

"I'm sorry, Soul."

(Maka's POV)

I rushed out the door with tears slipping down my cheeks. It hurt to tell the truth to Soul even though I knew it would lead to me crying and him not knowing what to do. Why does the truth hurt so much? Why does it cause both sides to crash and burn after it's been spoken? I wanted it to go away and for it all to be some dream that has yet to end.

I ran down the hallway to my room, closing and locking the door behind me. I slid down the door as my crying became heavier with each passing second. My heart was pounding in my chest and my breath was stuck in my throat. The shallow sounds of my breathing were drown out by my loud sobs and hiccups.

"Maka?" called a distant voice.

"Go away! J-just leave me alone!" I cried.

"Maka, open the door please. I wanna talk to you."

"About what? What I said to Soul?"

"Just open the door."

I groaned as I reluctantly unlocked the door before flopping down on my bed. My face was tear streaked and my hair was tangled and I felt like crap. Infact, my body ached all over.

The door clicked shut as somebody walked in. I felt the end of my bed sink under the weight of whoever it was. And then the ever so familiar light touch of a hand found it's place on my leg.

Soul.

Why was the bastard in my room? And why would he of all people want to talk to me after I told him that my feelings for him had vanished?

"Get your hand off of my leg Soul," I growled as I yanked my leg away from him.

"Is that anyway to talk to your papa?" came a low pitched pathetic voice.

"Why are you here? To tell me that I should tell Soul that I lied to him about my feelings towad have vanished? That's cute, but I won't do it. No matter what you say you can change my mind." I swallowed. "And besides you're just a player Papa. You never loved Mama! You never did! You just wanted someone who you could lie to about having to go to the office just to get away with cheating! I hate you!"

"Maka. stop do you really wa-" came Soul's voice from a corner of the room.

"URUSAI! I DON'T CARE ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT HOW I TALK TO MY PAPA! YOU DON'T CONTROL WHAT WORDS ARE FORMED ON MY LIPS! Just leave me alone."

"Maka, please. For me."

"Why should I listen to you? You're nothing more than a guy who calls himself cool to keep his self esteam up."

"That really hurt Maka. Thanks for blurting that out. Then I guess this is the last time you'll ever get to talk to me."

I lifted my head in question as two ideas ran through my head: he was leaving again or he was contemplating suicide.

"What do you mean?" I asked half aware that the words had slid off my tongue.

"I mean in a few nights, I won't be here or on a different continent."

"Soul..." 


	10. Fluff from Soul!

I looked at him with hurt swimming in my eyes. I hadn't meant to hurt him, I had just snapped over him trying to help me calm down. And now it was my fault that he wanted to die. My fault that I couldn't stop myself from yelling at him.

"Soul..." I cried. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just yelling at my father and couldn't control myself."

"Maka, what's done is done and you can't change that," he muttered.

"LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MY MAKA YOU PUNK! I AUGHT TO RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!" yelled Papa.

"Papa...stop," I cried. "It's no use trying to get him to change his mind. Trust me. He won't listen to you. He...he doesn't even listen to me."

Soul looked at me with shock in his red eyes as he realized I was defending him. Papa was stupid. He knew that Soul almost always stuck with his word and rarely ever went back on it. There was a hurt in Soul's eyes as he tried to hold back his tears. His cool guy image was broken, replaced with a soft, sensitive image.

"Maka...I don't know why you're saying that," he muttered. "I do listen to you...just not as closely as you think I do."

"What?" I sniffed.

He dropped his gaze, "I remember everything you tell me, despite how out of it I may be. You're the reason why I never go through with a lot of my plans to kill myself. I...I love you, Maka. And I hope you understand that."

I was left speachless at his words. This entire time I've known him and lectured him over small things, I always thought he ignored me. But hearing him say that he listened to everything I had to say and that he loved me changed how I viewed him. I noticed how he looked at me with something glowing in his eyes, how he always dressed to impress me, took me out to nice dinners for no reason, and willingly allowed me to sleep with him when I'd have a nightmare.

"Listen here, punk. If you hur-" began Papa.

"Papa, shut up. Go away, I never asked for you to be here," I snapped as I glared at him. "Soul, did you really mean what you said?" I asked as I turned my attention back to him.

"Yeah. I did," he replied scratching his head.

"Oh."

"Hey, look at the bright side. I won't be killing myself because I feel that way about you. After all, why would a cool guy like me leave his partner just to kill himself over something like that?"

I gave him a small smile before I stared at the hem of my skirt, rubbing it nonchalantly. I heard a sigh slightly off to my right as someone moved and then one off to my left as the other left the room out of boredom. On the better side of things, I could feel my cheeks were hot from blushing at the sound of Soul telling me he loves me. Those three words hold so much power and meanin in them that they leave me powerless against them. God, I hate Soul for using those, but if it's true then...what can I do about it?

"Maka?" Asked Soul.

"What?" I replied, still looking at my skirt.

"Is there any way I can make up everything I've ever done that caused you to snap? Because I feel like you deserve to be treated like a princess and also, this is so uncool of me to do, but I'd like you to be mine."

"Soul, of course you can make it up to me. And I thought I was already yours?"

"Well yeah, you are. I guess I should have said, would you like to be my girlfriend?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He had left me speechless for the first time in forever. I opened my mouth again in an effort to speak, but still no words came out. I allowed my gaze to drift to his face. His red eyes were locked on me, partially glazed over as he waited for my response.

"I…" I finally choked out.

He blinked as his eyes grew wide with anticipation.

"If I were to say no, that would hurt you. But, if I say yes I'd be breaking our promise to each other."

(3rd POV)

Soul looked at Maka, stunned by her response. But it made sense to him. Maka had dropped her eyes back to her skirt as she patiently waited for him to say something. Her mind was racing and her heart was pounding against her ribs.

"Maka," came Soul's quiet reply. "I love you, I really whole heartedly do. And I would never do anything that wouldn't follow your morals. But I really would like you to be my-"

"Soul…You're so sweet and cool. You know that, right?" Cut in Maka, "and I'd do anything to spend everyone of my remaining days with an amazing person like you."

Soul beamed as he heard her say yes in the most complex of ways. Even with his lacking understanding of how her mind operated, he knew she said yes.

 **A/N: One of my dorky friends took my phone and added this after Soul finally speaks up...**

 **A wild wombat suddenly body slammed Soul to the floor. Soul looked into its eyes and realized that THIS was his true love. This wombat. This one. Right here.**

 **This wombat.**


	11. A Question and Pain

(Maka's POV)

A smile crept across Soul's face as his brain finally registered my reply to his asking me to be his girlfriend. He was a little dumb at times, but smart when it was needed. The boy had clearly been attracted to me for the five years we've known each other and didn't know I could tell. Oh Soul, you poor thing.

"Maka...Are you being serious? Because I can't tell, your eyes are so blank and you have this deadpan look on your face," asked Soul.

"Yes I am. I just can't think straight right now," I muttered, glancing up at him through my bangs.

I felt two strong arms wrap themselves around me as Soul pulled me close to him. I could feel his chest rise and fall with each slow breath he took. He was much warmer than I remembered from when I last hugged him a few days before, but that could have been my imagination. My head found its place on his shoulder as my arms wrapped around his waist. I took in the warm, sweet, and spicy sent that was so naturally him as I melted into his arms. It felt strange to feel such a mix of emotions yet not be able to express even one of them.

"Soul, what's for dinner?" I mumbled into his shoulder.

"Well, we could go out and get something besides Chinese," he replied.

"Sounds good."

"Good, because I was planning on taking you some where to eat anyway."

I giggled softly before I let my eyes flutter shut in the pure bliss of knowing he wanted to do something like that for me without even asking if I was hungry.

XXX

After dinner Soul took me to some sweet shop and told me to go inside and pick out five dollars worth of candy that I wanted. I didn't protest, after all he was making up for the times he was a tool.

"Hmm," I hummed as I looked at the shelves of candy. "So many options but only five dollars to spend."

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Asked an employee, making me jump.

"Yes, actually. My dad gave me five dollars and told me to go buy however much candy I can, but I just can't decide which ones to get."

"May I make a few suggestions"

"Of course! I'd be here for hours if someone like you hadn't approached me."

"Well, it's a pleasure to have met such a nice girl like you."

I gave a light giggle as she began pointing out the items she liked most. We must have gone through 100 items before I spotted the one thing I knew Soul would beg me for: Jelly Beans. But I didn't go for the traditional flavored ones, I went for the unusual ones. The ones that make you gag as soon as the flavor hits your tongue.

"Can I get a small bag of these?" I asked as I pointed to them.

"Of course! Those are the best for pranking people," she replied as she scooped some into a bag. "Is this enough for you?"

"Yes, that's perfect. And then could I get two squares of chocolate-caramel fudge and two medium sized jaw breakers?"

"Yes you can. And because you are so sweet, I'll give you an additional piece of fudge for free."

"Oh, thank you."

"No problem."

She rung me up and told me that she would pay for the few cents I went over. As I walked out the door, Soul wasn't by the door like he was when I went in. I started to panic and then fury took over. Fury because he had said that he would never make me irritated again.

"Soul?" I called. "This isn't funny at all. C'mon you can stop hiding from me. Soul?"

"You won't find him here Maka," came a voice behind me.

"Wh-who are? What do you want?"

"You know who I am. I want one thing and one thing only."

"And what is that?"

"For you to marry me and forget about that boy."

I heard snickering around the corner and balled my hands into tight fists and swung at the person behind me with the hand not holding the bag of candy.

"Ow! What the hell?! Soul you didn't tell me your girl was trained in self defense," cried the boy who was now on the ground.

"Haha! Hiro you're an idiot. She's my girl so of course she's trained in self defense. For crying out loud, I've snuck up on her and earned a solid hit to the stomach from her," laughed Soul.

"SOUL! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" I yelled.

"And this is my que to run."

I chased Soul all the way home with the bag of candy in my hand. I didn't plan on actually killing or hurting him, I just wanted him to know that I was more deadly than he thought. After all I had learned from the best fighter in Death City. The symmetry obsessed Death the Kid. He trained me for a while after Soul had left me for those three years and even bought me some of the highest quality gear that I always have on under my clothes and tucked in my pants. Soul, of course, didn't know that I even had possession of such things until a few days ago...which is also when he learned of my training with Kid.

XXX

"TSUBAKI!" yelled Black Star.

"Oh no. He found out," muttered Tsubaki.

Soul and I were sitting in our kitchen sipping on our drinks with the occasional small conversation. Tsubaki and Black Star were in the living room arguing over something that Tsubaki had gone out and done without Black Star knowing about it. I swear half the time I think they're dating and trying to hide it.

"Tsubaki, a big star like me doesn't deserve to be treated like a peasant! I should be treated like a god!" boomed Black Star.

"Yes of course Black Star," replied Tsubaki with a forced smile in her voice. "Umm, Black Star?"

"Yes Tsubaki?"

"W-would you maybe like to go out for lunch some time?"

I looked at Soul, my mouth open in shock and excitement. He looked at me with an eyebrow raised in question. I mouthed to him that Tsubaki had just asked Star out. He gave me a shrug and went back to his drink as I held back the urge to Maka Chop him and scream in excitement. I stared at the bag of candy that was sitting across from me and debated giving Soul one of the jelly beans just to get a reaction from him, bit decided against it.

"Soul, I'm heading up to my room to clear my head a little bit before I bombard them with questions they'll find rather awkward to answer," I sighed.

"Okay, I'll be up in a moment to get you," he replied as he pressed a kiss onto my temple.

I could hear the playful tone in his voice when he spoke which was rare for him because he always had the idea that meister and weapon had no time for fun and had to keep everything strictly professional. Yuck. Even a nerd like me knew that there was always time for fun.

I reached my bedroom and flopped down on my bed with my arms crossed over my face in an effort to block out the sunlight that streamed across my room, filling every nook and crany with light. My room was painted red and had a jet black fuzzy carpet that covered up the ugly beige of the actual carpet. Yeah my room is a bit dark, bur I like it. My body felt weak and lifeless. My mind was racing and my heart was unusually calm as I took in short breaths.

"Maka? Babe? How'r you feeling?" asked Soul from outside my door.

"I feel like shit to be perfectly honest and I don't know why, I just do," I replied.

"Well, I think I know what you need to cheer you up."

"And what is that?"

"Some time to hang out with Tsubak and the rest of the girls."

I groaned. "I hate shopping with the sisters and Tsubaki always makes me try on the clothes with lots of color because she says I dress like a grim reaper."

He let out a soft chuckle before lying down with me and tracing random patterns on my stomach.

"Y'know, we could always lock your door or even go to my room and have some alone time," he saucily whispered into my ear as a low growl sounded from the back of his throat.

"Hmm, I like that idea," I playfully replied as a smile formed on my lips. "I'll see you in your room."

I got up and danced across the floor, tempting Soul to come and get me. His room is similar to mine, only difference is that he has a king size bed and I have a full size. His room is also messy and smells like your typical guys room: a mix of sweat and too much cologne.

I jumped onto his bed, and laid down on top of the pillows like a cat would and closed my eyes as I let myself become completely calm and relaxed.

"God, Maka. You have got to stop looking so adorable ad vulnerable when you do that," he sighed as he too laid down.

"Not my fault I'm so adorable," I muttered as sleep started creeping over me.

I heard a soft thud as his shirt hit the wall by his door in his failed attempt to get it into his hamper. I laughed quietly before I cringed at the pain that shot up my side. A groan escaped my lips as I tried to hide the pain from Soul.

"Maka? What's wrong?" he asked as his arms wrapped around me and pulled me to a seated position.

"I...I don't know. My side just had a shooting pain go up it," I groaned as I leaned against him.

"This isn't good."

"What do you mean?"

"It means something is happening to your body that should have happened a few years ago."  



	12. Is there a cure?

**I'd like to thank animedancer14 for her reviews on this story. They have given me a reason to try and update twice a week rather than once every two weeks. Thank you all for your support and don't forget to review. And be sure to check out animedancer14's stories, they are amazing and deserve to be read by lots of people. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

The pain had dulled a bit but not enough to let me stand up to get pain killers. I had Soul get me the bottle of ibuprofen and a large glass of water so I could take them when I felt the pain come back. I had no clue as to what my body was doing to me or why it caused me such a massive amount of pain. I laid down on the bed and curled into a ball as I started to cry from the pain I was feeling. Nothing had quite compared to what I was feeling right now.

"Ugh, I want to die!" I cried.

"No you don't. I'm right here for you when you need me," cooed Soul as he rubbed my back.

"Make it stop. Whatever this is, I want it to end right now."

"It'll go away Maka, just let time do what it does and before you know it it'll be gone and you'll be back to normal."

I forced a weak smile to show that I had heard him before closing my eyes and trying to keep my mind off the pain. I guess I had fallen asleep while I was lying there because when I opened my eyes, I was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling that was beautifully decorated. The place smelled funny and extremely unfamiliar to me. I felt uncomfortable on whatever it was that I had been set on and my head hurt a little bit. The only good thing was that the shooting pain in my side was gone.

I looked around the room and found that I acually knew the place I was in. I should have known when I saw how the ceiling was decorated where I was, but my mind was a little fogged.

"Soul," I groaned. "Where are you?"

I heard something move at the my side and questioned how I hadn't seen him there before with his white mop of hair and his orange shirt. A sigh escaped my lips as I slowly sat up and took a hold of one of his hands, giving it a gentle squeeze before lying back down. I let a small smile grace my features as I closed my eyes again and waited for him to wake up.

"Maka, don't do it..." mumbled Soul.

"Soul...Soul wake up. You're having a nightmare," I said as I gentlely shook him.

"Maka, what are you doing?"

"You looked like you were having a bad dream about me doing something you didn't want me to do, so I woke you up to make sure you were-"

I hissed as the pain shot up my side again. Soul left the room to get Kid as I writhed in pain. I wanted it to stop hurting me. Not later, now. It was too much for me to handle. Oh how much I wanted to kill myself everytime it hit me.

I looked over at the desk that was next to my bed and called up the last person I'd want to know about my current state. My father. I didn't like the man much, but there were times he was actually of some kind if help and right now was one if those times. I knew it was because he told me mama had the same thing happen to her shortly after she started dating him.

"Hello," came my fathers voice.

"Hi Papa," I weakly replied.

"Maka! How's my little angel?"

"Not good. I have this shooting pain running up my side that won't go away."

It went silent for a moment before he said anything.

"Maka, I'm on my way. I know how to get rid of it for good."

"Thank you Papa. I'm at Kid's place."

"I'd do anything for my little girl."

I rolled my eyes and hung up the phone before I dared myself to get up and walk to the door of the room and back to my bed. But just as my feet had hit the floor, they walked in with a bunch of stuff that I assumed killed off the pain for a bit.

XXX

 _Maka?_

 _Is she okay doc?_

 _Yes, she's fine. She's just asleep and should wake up here pretty soon._

 _Okay, thank you._

"Soul..." I croaked. "Papa..."

"Maka," I heard Soul sigh. "Thank death you're okay. I thought you'd scream for an eternity."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"When the sisters and Kid walked in with pain meds, you were screaming. So they called a doctor who put you under so you could be brought here to the hospital."

"Oh..."

"Maka! Papa's here for you, don't let him convince you that you don't need me," said Papa.

"Shut up Papa! Soul wouldn't ever do that to me, espcially since I've told him a lot about you. Including the bit about you knowing how to get rid of the pain in my side," I semi-hostily replied.

Papa's jaw hung open, shocked that I'd told Soul the good things about him and none of the bad. In truth, I don't really hate my father I'm just not really all that fond of him. Soul, on the other hand, has become so much more to me than just my boyfriend and partner. He's become part of my future that I've already thought about.

"And one question," I said. "Is there a cure for the mess I'm in?"


	13. Relief at Last

That night I lay in the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling with Soul fast asleep in the chair he pulled up. The erie quiet of the room left me on edge as the minutes dragged by. All I could see was jaged outlines of the medical supplies that were hooked up to me as they dripped an IV into my veins to ease the pain.

"Maka...I love you..." groaned Soul.

"I love you too, Soul," I smiled.

He was so cute when he slept and looked so vulnerable. A small line of drool slid down his chin, making me quietly laugh. My hand was resting on top of his from when I was just waking up from the sleep agent I had been given at Kid's. The pain in my side was faint, but enough to make me not want to move to wake up Soul and tell him to go home. I sighed as I let my eyes close and let sleep take over my body.

XXX

"Mmmm~," I yawned as I woke up. "Another day in the hospital."

"Good morning sleeping beauty," said Soul.

"Good morning to you too. Any news on the cure for, well, this crap?"

He fell silent. And then, "Your father said that the way your mother got rid of it was by being put on medications exclusively for this kind of thing for a few months, but he said it might not have the same effect on you."

"I don't care, I just want to get rid of it soon."

He sighed, clearly knowing he wasn't going to win this round. I looked around the room and found quite a few bouquets placed on counters and at the foot of the bed. 'Well, if I'm not the talk of the town?' I told myself. It was odd, see things from people I more than likely didn't know or only ran into once or twice and never spoke to again. But at the same time, I felt like I was more than just a violent bookworm that kicked ass on the missions I signed up for. Even Kid has started to realize that I'm not all that much of an innocent little girl who hates violence.

"Ms. Albarn?" came a voice from outside my room.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Ah, good you're awake. I just came by to check on you and see if there was anything that you need."

"Umm, I'm feeling a little better. The pain has dulled, but I can still feel it in my side. And I was wondering if I could get the medications needed to get rid of this."

"Well, I'd have to speak with your father about the medications before I can write you a prescription or them."

"I spoke with her father and he said that she can go ahead and get the needed medications for it," said Soul.

The doctor gave him a doubtful look before taking out pen and the needed papers to prescribe me the medications. When he turned to leave, I gave Soul a look of gratitude and a smile he hadn't seen in a very long time.

XXX

A few days later I was released from the hospital after they made sure that the meds worked how they were supposed to. I was given a small bottle of the pills and told to take them once a day everyday for 4 months and that I should schedule a follow up when I had about a months supply left. Soul was beaming as I was wheeled to his car to go home. I could tell his stress levels had gone down significantly when I had been released.

"Soul?" I asked as I felt my eyelids become heavy with sleep.

"Hmm?" he replied.

"When we get home, can you take me to our bedroom so I can sleep? Because sleeping in a hospital just doesn't go over too well when you have your significant other beside you wanting to cuddle."

"Anything for my girl." he smiled. "And you are one hell of a fighter."

I happily hummed as I finally let sleep consume my body for the ride home.

XXX

The sun beamed on my face as I tried to avoid it's blinding rays. I hated having a window facing the direction the sun rose every morning. Really the only good thing about it was that it didn't let me sleep away all hours of the day.

I rubbed my eyes as I realized it was no use trying to block out the sun, after all it was causing my body to loosen up and become energized. I stretched out on the bed and slowly sat up making sure my side didn't hurt. To my relief, it didn't and I could move like a normal human being without doubling over in pain. My glass of water was next to me on the night stand along with my bottle of pills that was half used. Soul says that it's a miracle that I was able to make it through the pain without going completely insane from it.

"Yuck, those things are gross," I grumbled as I walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch.

"Good morning baby doll. Sleep wel last night?" asked Soul.

"Best sleep I've ever had. But those pills just have a horrendous taste to them."

The silence that followed was welcomed by both of us as we both basked in the knowledge of knowing I was feeling better everyday that weant by.

"Hey, Maka, I was thinking that since we've been together for a while now that it was time we did something totally crazy," said Soul, breaking the silence as he say down next to me.

"Abd what would this 'crazy' thing be that you'd love to do?" I asked, snuggling into him.

"Well I have two ideas. One, we go out on a cruse and have fun for days on end while seeing new things. Or two, we could go to Disneyland in California just to let out our inner 6 year old selves."

"Hmmm, I like both ideas but I think I'd much rather go on a cruse with you and not have our friends bothering us almost all the time."

"Cool. I'll go buy the tickets and then we can relax and enjoy day number 90 of you being pain free." 


	14. Cruse Day

"Soul, I need to schedule a follow up. I'm down to 20 of those horrendous pills," I called.

"That's fine. The cruse doesn't leave for another week," he replied.

"Okay! Thanks babe!"

"Anything for my girl."

XXX(Time Skip 3 Days)XXX

I sat in the doctors office, immpatiently tapping my foot on the floor. The overly sanitary smell had numbed my nose and my brain was bogged down with questions that swirled around at their own free will. The man behind the desk was staring rather intensely at his computer screen as the lady behind him watched with a raised eyebrow.

"Ms. Maka Albarn?" called a nurse.

"Hai," I replied before grabbing my belongings and following the nurse's lead.

I followed him down the hall and around a few corners before finally getting to the room where my check up would be held. I hated every step of it.

"Okay, so I heard you were put on medication to stop a stabbing pain in your side about two and a half months ago, correct?" he asked when I got sittuated.

"Yes. And they have been working very well and have brought it down to a slight pinching feeling," I replied.

"Perfect. And how many more do you have left?"

"Seventeen."

"Well, you'll be glad to know that once you finish those you will never have to take them again."

I sighed in relief before giving him a smile and a thank you before walking out the door to go home.

XXX(Time Skip 1 Week)XXX

I sat in our little room on the cruse ship, feeling sick and very much thrown off balance. The room was spinning and my head hurt. Soul was out and about checking out the ship and avoiding girls who looked like they'd drool over him.

"I hate not being on solid ground," I grumbled as I fell onto my bed.

"Still want to be on this, babe? We haven't left port yet so we can still get our money back," remarked Soul as he entered the room.

"N-not really. I think I'd rather be on solid ground that doesn't sway under my feet, but I'll tough it out," I sat up.

"You're sure about that? Because honestly I'd rather know that you're happy and not going to complain over listening to you say how uneasy you feel."

I groaned. I hated seeing him give up something so easily just because I didn't feel good. I won't lie, I love that he's willing to do that kind of thing for me but I feel like he does it too much.

The captain blew the horn to announce our departure from the dock. Almost instantly I felt my stomach flip at the sudden sway that forced me back onto the bed.

"Ugh, I feel like I'm gonna throw up," I groaned as I laid on the bed next to Soul. "I guess it would have been better to have stayed on land."

"You are too cute, Maka, you know that?" asked Soul as he kissed my forehead. "And that is why I love you."

I gave a happy hum before pulling myself closer to him as if he was my lifeline.

XXX

I woke up with a jolt that night. My head was spinning and my side had begun hurting again. Soul was sound alseep beside me with drool coming out of his mouth.

"Soul-ah!" I whispered in pain.

"Maka, go back to sleep," he mumbled.

"Soul, the meds stopped working. They were supposed to get rid of it-"

I covered my mouth as a scream escaped my lips, waking Soul up immediately. His arms wrapped around me as he tried to get me to quiet down, but the pain was too much for me to handle.

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna call the doctor and alert the captain," he said as he slipped on pants and shoes.

"Hurry," I weakly managed. 


End file.
